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Research article2017Peer reviewedOpen access

The EURARE Project: Development of a Sustainable Exploitation Scheme for Europe's Rare Earth Ore Deposits

Balomenos, Efthymios; Davris, Panagiotis; Deady, Eimear; Yang, Jason; Panias, Dimitris; Friedrich, Bernd; Binnemans, Koen; Seisenbaeva, Gulaim; Dittrich, Carsten; Kalvig, Per; Paspaliaris, Ioannis

Abstract

Numerous European industries are heavily dependent on imported rare earth element (REE) raw materials. This has created a need for the European Union (EU) to ensure a sustainable supply of REE minerals, as well as develop from the ground up the currently non-existent European REE extraction and processing industry. In order to support this, the European Commission, through the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) scheme, funded the EURARE project which runs from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2017. Through the EURARE project, selected European REE deposits have been researched and in certain cases identified resources were successfully processed for REE production. Several REE deposits across Europe have been the focus of detailed geological field and laboratory work. Mineral concentrates obtained from the Norra Karr deposit in Sweden, the Kringlerne deposit in Greenland and the Kvanefjeld deposit in Greenland, Rodberg ore from Norway and bauxite residue from Greece were tested from laboratory to pilot scale by means of conventional and innovative metallurgical processing. The novel technologies developed provide efficiency and selectivity in various steps of the metallurgical processing, from ore beneficiation to metal production. A road map for sustainable REE production in Europe is now being developed, which includes an evaluation of the environmental benefits and risks of the EURARE technologies.

Published in

Johnson Matthey Technology Review
2017, Volume: 61, number: 2, pages: 142-153
Publisher: JOHNSON MATTHEY PUBL LTD CO

      SLU Authors

    • Seisenbaeva, Gulaim

      • The Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

    Sustainable Development Goals

    SDG9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
    SDG12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Environmental Management

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1595/205651317X695172

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/82749